Overview

Barbarian Prince is a solitaire adventure game where you play as Cal Arath, the Barbarian Prince, who must accumulate 500 gold pieces in 70 days to finance a counter-coup and reclaim your throne. Each day you choose actions like travelling, searching ruins, seeking audiences, or hiring followers. Events are resolved through numbered sections in a story-driven booklet, with dice rolls determining outcomes. The game combines elements of RPGs, choose-your-own-adventure books, and hex-based wargaming.

Components

• Rules and Reference Booklet (r200+ sections)
• Events Booklet (e001 to e195)
• Color Mapboard (hex grid with terrain types)
• Metal Token (representing the Barbarian Prince)
• 2 Dice
• Food Supply and Time record tracks on map

Setup

1. Place the mapboard centrally.
2. Mark your starting stats: Combat Skill 8, Endurance 9, Wealth Code 2.
3. Roll 1 die for “Wit & Wiles” rating (if result is 1, use 2 instead).
4. Determine starting gold from Wealth Code 2.
5. Place time marker on Day 1, Week 1.
6. Start at event e001.

Turn Structure

Each day follows this sequence:

1. Select Action: Choose one daily action.
2. Resolve Events: Follow the action’s rules, rolling dice and consulting tables. Events may lead to combat, encounters, or special situations.
3. Evening Meal: Provide food for entire party (r215).
4. Lodging: If in a town, castle, or temple, purchase lodging (r217).
5. Advance Time: Move to the next day. After Day 7, advance to next week.

The game ends after 70 days (10 weeks) or if the Prince is killed.

Actions

Actions Allowed in Any Hex

• Rest: Heal wounds (r222) and improve hunting success (r215).
• Travel: Move to a new hex (r204) – most common action.
• Search for Cache: Find a previously placed cache of supplies (r214).

Actions Allowed in Specific Hexes

• Seek News & Information (r209): Town, castle, or temple only.
• Seek to Hire Followers (r210): Town or castle only.
• Seek Audience with Local Lord (r211): Town, castle, or temple only.
• Submit Offering (r212): Temple only.
• Search Ruins (r208): Ruins hex only.

Travel Rules

• On foot: 1 hex per day.
• Mounted: 1 or 2 hexes per day.
• Airborne (winged mounts): Up to 3 hexes per day.
• Getting Lost: Roll 2 dice vs. terrain Lost number; if met/exceeded, stuck for the day.
• Roads: Cannot get lost on roads; use Road line on Travel Table.
• River Crossing: Must check for getting lost AND river events.
• Travel Events: Each hex entered may trigger events based on terrain type.

Combat (r220)

When combat occurs:

• Each character has Combat Skill and Endurance.
• Roll dice and compare to combat tables.
• Damage reduces Endurance; at 0 Endurance, character is eliminated.
• Party members fight alongside you.

Transport (r206)

• Each food unit = 1 load.
• Every 100 gold (or fraction) = 1 load.
• Each person carried = 20 loads.
• Man on foot carries up to 10 loads.
• Mount carries 30 loads (or rider + 10 loads).

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win: Accumulate 500 gold pieces within 70 days to finance the counter-coup and reclaim the throne of the Northlands Kingdom.

Lose:

• The Barbarian Prince is killed.
• 70 days elapse without reaching 500 gold.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Followers: Characters who join your party have their own Combat Skill, Endurance, and Wealth Code. They can be dismissed or abandoned.
• Guides: Subtract 1 from lost rolls, but if you get lost anyway, guide may desert on a roll of 4+.
• Food: Must feed entire party each evening. Hunting rules depend on terrain.
• Lodging: Required in towns, castles, and temples; costs gold.
• Caching: Leave supplies behind to pick up later.
• Airborne travel: Ignores river crossings; uses Airborne line on Travel Table.
• Bonus actions: Some events grant extra actions in a day.
• Lost while airborne: Additional drift risk (roll die for random direction movement).
• Magicians, wizards, priests: Especially valuable party members for certain events.
• The Prince cannot leave the game map; stops at the edge.
• Events are self-explanatory; resolve realistically when rules are unclear.

Player Reference

Cal Arath’s Starting Stats

| Stat | Value | |——|——-| | Combat Skill | 8 | | Endurance | 9 | | Wealth Code | 2 | | Wit & Wiles | Roll 1d6 (min 2) |

Travel Speeds

| Mode | Hexes/Day | |——|———–| | On Foot | 1 | | Mounted | 1-2 | | Airborne | 1-3 |

Transport Capacity

| Carrier | Load Capacity | |———|—————| | Person on foot | 10 loads | | Mount | 30 loads | | Mounted rider | Rider (20) + 10 extra loads |

Daily Sequence

1. Choose action
2. Resolve events/combat
3. Evening meal
4. Lodging (if in settlement)
5. Advance day